Spacecraft
Spacecraft fall into several different classes based on their primary use. Interstellar These gigantic ships are designed for a one-way journey across interstellar space to transport colonists and the supplies they will need once they reach their destination. The majority of the passengers are placed in cryogenic suspended animation for the duration of the journey, while a small crew (frequently called “Spacers”) maintain systems and navigate potential hazards. These ships are heavily armored in the front and employ huge magnetic deflector shields to divert dust and other charged particles around the ship, since impact with these microscopic objects can be deadly at the speed of interstellar travel. Interstellar ships employ high-velocity fusion engines. A large fraction of the ship’s mass is used to hold the enormous stores of hydrogen required to fuel the reactors and to act as reaction mass to accelerate and decelerate the ship. The fastest of these ships make their journey traveling an average of 0.05 the speed of light. Higher speeds are possible, but not practial. The increased reaction mass required to reach and decellerate diminishes the useable cargo space substantially. In addition, threats from particle impacts increases greatly as speed increases. Many lower speed ships have been used as well, but for very long journeys, the danger comes from mechanical breakdown of systems, especially the fusion reactors and the cryogenic storage pods. Upon arrival at their destination, the passengers are revived and the crew are given perks for their work as defined by the contracts made with their ancestors. The ships themselves are often converted into orbital space stations for the planet they colonize especially if it is the first colony ship to the planet. Interplanetary Most interplanetary ships never land on a planet surface. Transporting cargo between planets is expensive and these ships are designed with energy efficiency in mind. They usually accelerate slowly and have limited maneuvering capabilities. Cargo is transferred from the planetary surface using unmanned boost rockets and transferred to the planet surface with unmanned drop ships. Small cargo and passengers usually travel by shuttlecraft. In hostile environments, like Gloombridge, these ships are usually heavily armed to deter pirate attacks, but because of their inability to maneuver, they are still vulnerable if the attackers cannot be disabled quickly. Some larger shuttlecrafts are used for interplanetary travel, especially for passenger transport and courier services where premiums for speed make up for the higher costs. Shuttlecraft The primary use of a shuttlecraft is to carry people and small amounts of cargo from a planet surface to a ship or station in orbit. However, properly outfitted, a shuttlecraft can perform a wide variety of missions: interplanetary courier, fighter, or pirate ship, to name a few. Fighters Space combat between capital ships is extremely deadly, and even the winning side is likely to suffer enormous casualties. A far safer tactic is to find the enemy and hit them first with a fighter attack. Fighters are small craft usually built around a central weapon. In addition to their small size, they also use evasive maneuvering (often computer controlled to enhance randomness and speed of change). This gives them a chance to get in close and destroy or disable an enemy ship without getting hit. The high rate of fuel consumption during combat severely restricts the flight time of these ships.